There are dogs all around the country that are looking to be adopted and find a home. Several students of Trinity University are doing their part to find these dogs a home. Seniors Marcus DePaul and Ricky Dolezalek are Omega Phi fraternity members who live together and are volunteering with the rest of their roommates at an organization that is helping dogs find a home. DePaul described how he discovered this opportunity. “We started in...

There are dogs all around the country that are looking to be adopted and find a home. Several students of Trinity University are doing their part to find these dogs a home.

Seniors Marcus DePaul and Ricky Dolezalek are Omega Phi fraternity members who live together and are volunteering with the rest of their roommates at an organization that is helping dogs find a home.

DePaul described how he discovered this opportunity.

“We started in October of last year through an organization called Spay, Neuter, Inject, Protect, San Antonio (SNIPSA) that pulls animals from the Humane Society and other shelters and places the dogs with foster families until they can be adopted to their “˜forever homes,'” DePaul said.

DePaul explained one of the benefits of participating in the foster program is that it relieves some of the financial obligations associated with owning a dog, which is especially helpful for college students.

“We wanted to foster the dogs because it not only offered us a great way to do community service but also have dogs as college students and not have to worry too much about the financial burden that dogs can sometimes be,” DePaul said.

DePaul was inspired to foster dogs when he went to a local adoption event and saw another Trinity student who was already involved with the program.

“We had been to an adoption event in the Quarry just to hang out with the dogs and saw another Trinity student we knew who was fostering a puppy and that gave us the idea,” DePaul said.

DePaul is now attempting to foster his ninth dog. Though people have the option to foster multiple dogs at once, DePaul prefers to take care of one at a time.

“I am currently trying to adopt out my ninth dog,” DePaul said. “I had a litter of four puppies at once, but otherwise we have only had one dog at a time.”

DePaul finds fostering the dogs especially rewarding because he plays a direct role in arranging a permanent home.

“The responsibilities of a foster are basically the responsibilities of owning a dog”“you walk them and play with them and feed them, but I also get the opportunity to be directly involved with those people who want to adopt my foster,” DePaul said. “I am the one who makes the final decision as to who adopts my dogs, and that kind of decision makes it a lot easier to give the dogs up when it is time for them to be adopted.”

Dolezalek was highly complimentary of the organization that they work through and the people that they have had contact with. He also likes knowing who the dogs are going to when the foster period is over.

“The group is great. The dogs are so much fun to work with, and we always get great families looking to adopt. It’s nice when you know you are giving a dog to a great family who will really take care of the dog,” Dolezalek said.

The knowledge of DePaul and Dolezalek’s impact has not been limited to just those in the house, but it has also spread around campus. Many students have stated the respect they have for the program.

“I love what Marcus and Ricky doing,” said junior Rivers Wallace. “It is so cool, and I wish them the best and hope that all the dogs find a home.”